From MSNBC:
A playmate named Sam, a talking dog named Buddy and an Israeli street leading to a Toys”R”Us store all have starring roles in a new generation of virtual reality games designed to teach basic safety and social skills to children diagnosed with autism.
For school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome, skills often taken for granted can be torturously difficult, whether staying within the confines of a yard, crossing a street or navigating the social norms of group playtime.
Aided by the observation that autistic children relate especially well to virtual reality and computer programs, an entire field of research has sprung up in the last 15 years.